Land Use Agency
RIVERSIDE (CNS) – The Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved formation of a committee that will be tasked with identifying ways of improving operations in the Riverside County Transportation & Land Management Agency, where inefficiencies from high turnover and lack of staff expertise have become a concern.
Supervisors Kevin Jeffries and Yxstian Gutierrez jointly sought and got the full board’s approval for the “Ad Hoc Committee for the Continuous Improvement of TLMA.” The two men will serve as the principal committee members.
“I’m supportive of the two supervisors serving on this ad hoc,” board Chairman Chuck Washington said. “I would like to serve as an alternate.”
The vote to establish the committee incorporated a provision that Washington be a reserve member. Since Jeffries is slated to retire at the end of the year, Washington would automatically assume the vacant spot on the panel.
“Riverside County has experienced significant growth in recent years, placing increasing demand for land-use services,” the supervisors wrote in documents posted to the board’s agenda. “This growth has resulted in some challenges.”
Jeffries and Gutierrez said the intent will be to identify ways of strengthening recruitment and retention of staff, because shortages have “contributed to service delays and reduced the department’s overall effectiveness.”
“The heavy load of planning casework adds to the challenges of keeping staff, pointing to the need to stabilize our workforce to achieve and maintain manageable caseloads,” they wrote, additionally noting there are ongoing “system inefficiencies” stemming from “outdated processes” that need to be addressed.
“The county’s ability to effectively manage land use projects is hampered when our systems are not efficient,” the supervisors said. “Reviewing and mapping our development process from start to finish would identify opportunities to enhance system efficiencies.”
Among the other concerns is lack of “timeliness … processing permits, reviewing plans and addressing inquiries” from developers, according to the supervisors.
“Exploring opportunities to reduce processing times would make the county a more attractive place for development,” documents stated.
The committee will undertake a “thorough review of current systems and processes” to identify “specific areas where inefficiencies exist” to ferret out solutions, which may require hiring an independent consultant, according to the proposal.
There will be an opportunity for developers and others to provide input as part of the committee’s work, which will necessitate the establishment of “clear timelines for the completion of key milestones within the (committee’s) action plan,” the supervisors said.
No new General Fund expenses are associated with the new committee.
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